


Chatting with a Kid

by Giulietta



Series: Mari-nyan [52]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Babysitting, Character Development, Conversations, Episode: s03 Maître Noël | Christmaster, Friendship, Gen, Kwami Swap, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Miraculous Side Effects, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Presents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26560144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giulietta/pseuds/Giulietta
Summary: Marinette needs to babysit another kid to have her ship sail even farther...... Hey. At least he isn't as curious as Manon right?
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Chris Lahiffe
Series: Mari-nyan [52]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745011
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Chatting with a Kid

**Author's Note:**

> All of the theories and papers researching Hawkmoth are hidden under her bed and are behind the boards.
> 
> Also, I feel this episode in canon is all in Marinette's head. I mean... Would Santa really make an exception and Marinette being the most well-behaved girl? Isn't this the same girl that steals phones?
> 
> XD OH Shoot! What if Santa Claus doesn't know Marinette is Ladybug? Oh god. Marinette and Adrien gets two presents in Christmas then.

For the sake of Team DJWifi, Marinette agreed to babysit Nino's child-err younger brother cousin thing. Actually, let's call him **Chris Lahiffe**. _Yes_. Marinette needs to babysit this human and prevent Plagg from pranking the child to death. She's done her research and is fairly certain kids have some sort of taste. When she was a kid, she liked drawing, dresses and books.

However, Chris is a male child who already hates her room due to the pink theme. Thankfully, he just wants to play a video game - **Grim Monster Clash 3** \- which he is very bad at. Not going to lie, but he's stuck in the same fight since twenty minutes ago. _Whatever._ All she needs is to babysit the child and not be a..?

...

"Were you supposed to play with these if I had no PC?" Marinette checked the contents of his backpack, staring at the toys with uncertainty. She recalls Nino using these action figures in their project a month ago and the DJ insists not to break it. Although Nino cares for his blood kin, he told her that Chris is kind of a hypocrite.

"Yeah, but you're way better than his _girlfriend_." Chris said the last word with some disgust. _Marinette squinted at the potential ship hater._ Chris wasn't staring at her, glaring at the screen at his third attempt. "She didn't want me to play my game because _I'm not a big boy_."

"Ah, but you are a kid." Marinette relaxed. "Why else do you have these toys?"

"Am not!" Chris denied. _Yup. He reminds her somewhat like Manon, very childish and vindictive to those who go against their wishes._

'How generations have changed indeed.' Marinette repacked his toys, examining it if any inspiration would come her way. Military jackets and the strange green-yellow combo is the only thing that comes to mind.

"Gah!" Chris dropped the game controller, scooting the chair to the plate of cookies. "I need a break."

"Minimize the screen. We can't have Nino and Alya see that, you know?" Marinette told him as she stared at the snow globe as she knelt on the floor. She's confused how _these things_ invigorate one's imagination. Her parents weren't the type to buy her toys, but they did buy her a ton of coloring material, storybooks, sewing kits and a violin. Playing dolls or play-pretends are only fun when there are more than two so it must mean Nino played with Chris. Marinette smiled, swirling the snow globe. 'How wholesome.'

"You have a lot of stuff." Chris commented, scanning her wall shelves. Yes. She implemented DIY wall shelves to place all the small trinkets she got as Lady Noire. The one at the center has her most important items - (1) **Misterbug's roses** (lavender then red and recently blue) which she preserved and is now in a glass container akin to the Beauty and the Beast. _She needed the help of Max._ (2) **Adrien's** **lucky charm** which is only brought in emergencies only such as big events or life-or-death experiences; (3) **Alya's emergency phone** in case Marinette _really_ needs help; (4) **Luka's guitar pick** which is pretty... neat? _She isn't sure but Luka has been nice to her every time she and the girls hang out in the Couffaine boat._ And; (5) her **parent's keys** to the places where the family's guns, ammunition and blades are kept. _Hawkmoth has made her parents paranoid._

"I guess I do." Marinette agreed, standing up to stare at the glass pane separating her and every object she's accumulated in the past. It's almost a year as Lady Noire. Her Maman might start calling her a hoarder. 'I might need to reorganize my items.'

"Hey, what's in here?" Chris asked and Marinette dropped the snow globe (which Plagg caught before it smashed onto the floor). Chris opened her chest filled with presents.

"Oh. Those are for my friends." Marinette admitted, hurriedly walking over and shutting the lid. She even sat on the chest, aware how children like presents. "I'm waiting for their birthdays or Christmas to give them what they want. It's a me-thing."

"But how would you know what they want?" Chris crossed his arms.

"That's the same as how Santa knows what everyone wants." Marinette shrugged and Chris stared at her with doubt. Marinette internally sweats. 'I can't tell him I stalk down my classmates, list down whatever they want and create something for them nor can I tell him I have thirty-five gifts for Adrien. He'd tell Nino for sure.'

"Hey wait! I'm your friend right?" Chris asked and Marinette saw this coming. Manon asked the exact same question and Marinette just gave her the Ladybug stuff toy (which is so soft and easy to clean- _why did I give that to her?_ ). "I want a Grobotech Ultimate Destructor! You can buy it right? It's not that expensive and-"

"Woah there. I'm pretty sure your birthday passed. How else are you a big kid?" Marinette crossed her legs, resting her arm on her thigh as she looked down at the eager beaver. "I could buy you a Grobotech Ultimate Destructor, but I'm sure Santa already has that in his bag. You gotta wait for Christmas."

"But this is different. By the time Christmas comes, Grobotech is going to release a better model!" Chris dropped his arms, suddenly getting an idea. "You're friends with Santa Claus right? Nino told me about it."

"Yeah..." Marinette forgot he's related to Nino. Nino who hears everything Alya says. "I'm sorry, but Christmas rules are very strict."

"You don't open gifts early. Santa gives them at Christmas, not at Easter or Halloween. Otherwise you'd might as well have a bunny or a witch delivering your presents." Marinette remembers Santa Claus telling her this after getting de-akumatized. It's because Santa Claus needed an ear to listen to his woes that she arrived late on Adrien's party.

"But, since you know him, you could ask him." Chris reasoned. _He may be a big kid, but his logic is flawed._ "Can't you just call him on the phone or send him an email?"

"Oh no. Santa Claus doesn't want to be disturbed except on Christmas." Marinette remembers those stories the elder told her about some very immature adults asking for presents in the middle of Easter. The constant phone calls and stalkers made Santa Claus go incognito. _Who knows what's Santa Claus' job outside being well Santa?_ Marinette tapped her lips. "He's often busy reading children's wish lists, getting drunk, hiding from Santa cultists, maintaining his deer and asking his elves to produce the toys."

"Not sure where Santa lives, but I'm pretty sure Santa's the only one who could produce stuff from thin air... Also, Misterbug." Marinette paused and Chris seems to also be processing whatever she said.

...

"But there's gotta be an exception right?" Chris asked. _Wow! Where did this kid learn exceptions and inclusions?_ Chris insisted, "There's always an exception to the rules."

"Yeah yeah. Let me check." Marinette got off her chest, walking over to grab her diary. She flipped it, checking for the date she met with Santa Claus. Marinette read between the lines, eyes widened at the revelation. "Oh. There is one."

"Really? What is it, what is it?" Chris managed to swipe her diary and Marinette quickly placed a hand to prevent him from flipping its pages. "Only for the best-behaved kid in the whole world?!"

"I know right?" Marinette chuckled, "Who could be that lucky kid?"

"I guess Misterbug?" Chris gave back the diary which she hugged tight. "He did save Paris a gazillion times."

"That makes sense." Marinette isn't sure about the gazillion times, but Misterbug is an innocent bean. She noticed the snow globe on the table side, grabbing it and offering it to Chris. "Anyways, I guess you have to wait for Christmas for the goods so be a good kid okay?"

"..." Chris frowned but he grabbed the snow globe. Marinette wondered what's wrong this time.

*Bam!

"We're back~!" Alya declared and Marinette looked at favorite couple. "He didn't cause trouble, did he?"

"Of course he didn't." Nino rolled his eyes, stepping in. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Sure we did." Marinette is still thinking on making a customized and inspired-by-the-military jackets. "How was the movie by the way?"

"Awesome. Thanks for watching my bro, Marinette." Nino crouched down on one knee, concerned of his brother's silence. "What's wrong, little dude?"

"AH!" Chris started to cry. Marinette almost fell with the sudden noise, having Alya support her from behind. Chris then did a tantrum and start crying? _Wow. What an attitude change?!_ "I want it to be Christmas right now!"

"Okay, I guess we'd better get going." Alya pats her shoulder as Marinette stood watching Nino pick up his little brother. "Bye, girl."

"See you at school tomorrow." Nino walked down the stairs. Marinette watched them go, curious how different Chris acts around different people.

"Yeah, bye Nino, see you soon Chris." Marinette bid good bye as Alya closed the hatch. 'Why did he start to cry?'

*Click.

"You shouldn't be saying the truth all the time, Marinette." Plagg came down to sit on her shoulder. "Human children would believe anything."

"But you know much of a bad liar I am." Marinette sighed, turning to close the tab with this overly hyped online game. "Besides, he's a big kid. He should know what patience is."

"Yeah~ Sure he does." Plagg laughed, heading back to the mini-fridge to check on the cheese.

"Hey! Come back here! I just got an idea on what to give Adrien!" Marinette complained. It's a really good idea. Since Adrien is famous, she should create a stylish bullet-proof jacket. The surprise is that he doesn't know it's bullet-proof... Okay. Adrien isn't dumb but! She can make it winter themed! Or... 'Or...'

"Maybe..." Marinette covered her mouth. "Maybe he would be want an accessory instead? Easier to match with his clothes..."

...

"Why not cheese? Everyone likes cheese." Plagg popped his head out of the mini-fridge, muttering under his breath when he returned inside. _"And maybe get that reveal going."_

**Author's Note:**

> I HC Santa Claus being the first non-miraculous entity to learn Cat!Marinette's identity.


End file.
